If news were fish, MM.com would be a sushi shop in Oklahoma.

Ive got a lot of old news here, stuff that I probably shouldnt be serving up. But its good stuff though, so I feel like I dont really have a choice. But I will caution you. This stuff might not be the freshest stuff there is out there. If youre the kind of man or woman that likes to get your news before its eyes fog over, youre in the wrong place.

So, here we go.

First, I was absolutely shocked by this story in the Washington Post about an NBC affiliate station in Tampa, Florida that runs a series of paid advertising spots in the form of an interview program right after the Today show every morning. The show, called Daytime looks and feels just like your typical interview program, but what the audience doesnt know is that everyone appearing has paid $2,500 and up for the privilege. I imagine that the hosts, a man and a woman, even make with the witty Regis and Kathy Lee-like banter between these paid spots. Heres a quote from the article:

While Land likened the paid segments to an “infomercial,” the slickly produced “Daytime” looks like a regular local morning show, with NBC’s peacock logo and a “News Channel 8” insignia at the bottom of the screen. On one program last month, co-host Debra Schrils was seen taking a swamp-buggy tour at Florida’s Babcock Wilderness Adventures before chatting up the company’s tour director in the studio. “I never knew that existed, and it’s just south of here! And there’s so much wildlife!” she gushed.

I cant believe that they can get away with running the NBC logo and the News Channel designation over this. Its absolutely insane. And its probably something well see a hell of a lot more of. Be on alert.

If I were in Tampa Id take up a collection to buy a segment, and then Id go on and talk about journalism and ethics… and maybe Id throw in a few mentions of the new issue of Crimewave too. Its just $4 and it will be available on our website on November 1.

Secondly, there was a really good piece on Salon about the designated free speech areas that are being used by US Secret Service to corral protesters a good distance away from our President and Vice President when they appear in public. If youre saying something nice and holding up a God Bless You, George sign, you can stand right up front. If youre holding up a sign asking about the 16 words in his State of the Union Address concerning Iraqs nuclear ambitions, then youre hustled off to the fenced-in area a thousand yards away. The article is accompanied by a photo, which, if it were real, would be the best piece of photo journalism ever. I suppose that it could be real, but its just too perfect Heres a clip from the article:

“It looked more like a concentration camp than a free-speech area to me, so I said, ‘I’m not going in there. I thought the whole country was a free-speech area.'” The detective asked Neel, 66, to go to the area six or eight times, and when he politely refused, he handcuffed and arrested the retired steelworker on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Thirdly, as if all there werent enough, George Bush last week decided to sidestep national media, the folks who might ask the tough questions, and go directly to the regional news outlets that he felt were more likely to carry his message about how well things are going in Iraq without commentary. And heres a quote from a Washington Post story on the subject:

Bush aides make no apologies for targeting local media — which, they say, tend to be less cynical. “We believe local media and regional broadcasters are more interested in letting viewers or readers see or hear what the president has to say,” said Dan Bartlett, White House communications director. “It’s less analytical and more reporting.”

And, lastly, heres a news story from the BBC. It would appear that another one of the men named by the FBI as a hijacker in the suicide attacks on Washington and New York has turned up alive and well.

I could go on and on, but I think you probably get the point by now. Were fucked.

Good night.

Ive been in the basement, cleaning all morning. Were expecting to have a new furnace installed tomorrow (to replace the inefficient and somewhat-broken 33-year old one we have now) and I felt compelled to clean for the crew. I must have sucked up twenty-five pounds of dusty, old cobwebs out of the 150-year old rafters. (I wonder if antique cobwebs are worth anything. Maybe Ill scoop them out of the shopvac and post a photo on Ebay.)

While I was down there, I decided to clean the washer and dryer. I dont know how its possible, but I discovered a thick brown sludge around the inside lip of the lid to our washing machine. It hadnt occurred to me that the inside of a device created to clean could get so filthy. It was like finding a box full of antique spider webs floating inside a ten-gallon drum of bleach.

I know thats not a great analogy, but Ive got a headache. I think I must be allergic to the mold growing down there on the crumbling cement walls. The walls are almost black in areas. (A bonus moment of home improvement insight for MM.com members: When I have time, I need change the grading around the house so that water doesnt run toward it. I think that should cut down on the moist walls to some extent. A dehumidifier might help too.)

According to stories weve heard, an old man used to live down there in the 70s. There are still a few signs of habitation. Theres a disgusting old toilet with a few sheets of plywood nailed up around it, and a crudely fashioned shower stall made of cinderblocks. Theres no telling what kind of sad and/or frightening things went on down there. I try to spend as little time thinking about it as possible.

Linette left a couple of hours ago for Detroit. She wanted to see our friend Monica before she (Monica) leaves the country to visit relatives in Columbia.

The magazine is now being printed, so this evening Im going to work on writing letters to bookstores that should be carrying us, but, to my knowledge, arent. Its something Ive been meaning to do for the past half-decade, but havent gotten around to. Linette and I went on-line last night and got a list of about 50 that looked promising, small independent bookstores that had hosted readings by authors that we like, etc. Hopefully, between our efforts and those of Desert Moon (our biggest distributor), well get at least another 500 or so into circulation this time out.

Linette and I are all excited. Tomorrows the one day a year when Haabs, a local restaurant here in Ypsi that dates back to the Great Depression, opens up their doors and serves their 1934 menu with 1934 prices! Linette and I have never gone before. The long line of seniors has always put us off, but this year were going to get on line and wait however many hours it takes. A sirloin for $1! A fried chicken dinner for $.50! How fucking cool is that? Of course, theyll probably make money on the drinks. Theres no way that theyd have booze for a nickel a bottle. Maybe its a trick they lure you in with 1934 food prices and then they stick it to you with 2034 drink prices. A $20 can of Coke. A $40 highball.

Linette told me not to mention this on my site because it could lead to more people on line in front of us, but I cant contain my enthusiasm for this very cool event. Now if only the hookers and dealers on Michigan Avenue bought into the idea. Could you just imagine $.05 hand-jobs and bags of old-timey crack?

I want to go out and get a burger now. Im hungry and theres nothing much here in the house to eat. I will be back later tonight with the links that I was too tired to post on Friday.

Adieu,
Mark Maynard

Other people, it seems, are beginning to come forward with their concerns about the administrations case for war. Yesterday, 60 Minutes II ran an interview with Greg Thielmann, former director of the Office of Strategic Proliferation and Military Affairs at the State Department. He and his staff were responsible for analyzing the Iraqi weapons threat for Secretary Powell. In this interview, Thielmann essentially states that Powell knew he was talking bullshit when he went in front of the United Nations on February 5, 2003, and gave his speech about the significant threat that Iraq was posing to the US and the world.

In the words of Thielmann, I think my conclusion now is that it’s probably one of the low points in (Powells) long, distinguished service to the nation.

I feel bad for Powell. He was pushed to go in front of the UN and make the case with flimsy evidence. If youll recall a story I linked to a few months ago, the story circulating in DC is that when Powell was first given the evidence against Iraq by Rumsfeld and his team, he threw it down and said something to the effect of, Im not going to present this bullshit.

So, what he ended up presenting wasnt quite a far-fetched as it could have been. What Thielmann is saying though, is that it was still bullshit, and that Powell knew it.

It seems as though the floodgates are opening up against the administration now. All the people that were sitting on the sidelines are finally getting up the courage to step forward like Ambassador Joe Wilson and tell what they know about the run-up to this war.

The only person in the administration that I really feel bad for in all of this is Powell. I respect Powell and I think that it would suck to see him go out like this. Bush and his team of neo-cons were ready to go into Iraq on their own and Powell convinced them to wait and take the case to the United Nations. Unfortunately, he just didnt have the facts to pull it off. And now it looks as though he might pay the price for trying.